Off to work.

Another car free day today so i have jumped on the speedwell 396 from fitton hill to ashton. I have never been on this before. It really does go around the houses as it gets near ashton. Good job i have plenty of time to spare. I suppose these smaller companies make there money around the little estates. This bus used to be one of ours. It's even still got our seat covers on. Anyway easy day today. 2 trips on a 330 to start and then 3 on a 345. I suppose with the comments from yesterday i should expect any kind of bus on both parts. Nice leyland atlantean would suit me. With a semi auto box to give me something to do.lol

Can't sleep.

It's 4am. I'm not in work until 830. It's so annoying when you can't go back to sleep so here is a nice rainy picture from preston yesterday. Will try again now.

Moving on.

Just got into wigan. Nice to see it in the daytime. It's roughly the same size as ashton here. Mainly first bus here with a few arriva and a few south lancs travel knocking about. I'm gonna go for the stagecoach 113 to preston. Then home on the x61 as it's getting a bit cold and damp now.

For the interested people.

This horrid bendy bus is on the 471s. I'm not a big fan of these. I find them uncomfortable. This one is one of a few without the 135 branding plastered all over the side of it.

Pile of s%§te

I thought we had some old buses at ashton. This arriva midi bus looks like it came from the war. Just heading up to wigan for lunch then will head back somehow. Not going to get stuck like last time thats for sure.

Wednesday again.

Off again today. Being wednesday with nothing to do apart from watch jeremy kyle i thought i would leave the car at home once more and have a free trip around on public transport. Just got into Oldham off a 425 on am old prisma which was nice and warm. This is the new medical centre in oldham. Looks very modern for the town. Just a shame it's next to the horrid civic centre building. I'm going to try the new 58 route which now goes to middleton and then onto bury. Similar route to the old 401. It must be due. The pensioners are waiting patiently to fill the lower saloon.

Nice to see!

I have just started a 5 hour marathon on the 217/218s- it's good to see droylsden nice and clear.also it's all back to normal in the hills so i'm hoping for a leisurly 5 hours drive.however on bus number 22121 that will be a little tough. Also forgot to mention. The traffic commissioner has imposed a 5 minute stand time around the Oldham street area due to the current bus wars with first, bluebird and jpt. Not good as it takes about 7 minutes to empty and load a 216 at peak time!

On top of the world.

Been a long morning already today. Been to the gym from 6am and now i have just started work. This is the view from the top of ridge hill. I had a few minutes to spare on my 389. It's nice at night. You can even see the runway lights at the airport.

Boring day.

It's been a long dull windy wet day today. Done 347s and 216s all evening. I started at 1630 so i had the full day to myself which was good. Just going to head back and get some sleep i think. Schools are back tomorrow so should be back to busy roads.

Almost forgot

This arriva bus was on the pitts at hyde road. I believe vosa test them here. Not sure why.

Happy halloween

Nice and early today, only because i have a party to go to tonight. Would much rather stay in bed and come in later but needs must. Busy weekend this weekend on the 330 for 3 trips to start then 2 on a 216 so the blood pressure will be up by the end of the day. Busy down at eastlands too, there is 2 cycling competition going on and the selnec 40 bus thing which is running with the one at the museum od transport. I might have a venture down tomorrow hangover depending. Plus i'm in at 4pm tomorrow too so will see. Just finishing bus checks so will head out soon. Let's hope for a nice easy day.

How many to change a lightbulb?

I have heard lots of jokes about how many people it take to change a light bulb. A slight change of plan today. I have been pulled from hyde road as we are a bit short of drivers. I'm waiting for a 217 and i am tickled to see this guy doing something as basic as change a lightbulb with mr moany who works in the bus station watching him do it! Very important job.lol.

Enviro 300

As per previous comment this is the Enviro 300 manchester has. Is's actually a 52 plate so at 7 year old it's not looking too bad. It's in for a paint job. All sanded down and ready to go in. There are another 4 man buses waiting for paint out here and the Enviro i saw last time looks almost ready to come out.

New school

Just off to pick a workmate up who is on the same course as me today at hyde road. This is the new school thats being built just off broadoak road. The land is huge. I think it's the replacement for hartshead and the other one on Mossley road.

Dark so soon.

It was dark from 5pm tonight i noticed. The warm weather makes it feels so different. It should be cold and raining every evening. Been on 330s and now on my last 7. This poster is in the canteen at ashton regarding testing of the metrolink.
Tomorrow i am at hyde road again so might see something interesting who knows.

How Nice

This street just outside Manchester caught my eye and i thought it was worth a few pics. Looks very pieceful.
I have never seen round this part of town before. It's at the back of the express building on Great Ancoats St.
The  Victorian flat complex at the back is very interesting. I did try to get inside the gates as the square in the cntre is very interesting and  has been featured in lots of tv programmes. It's called Victoria Square.

I took this because i found it creepy going through it. It is on Lever street where the old bus station was. Looks like some kind of building being put up there now.

Metrolink Update

Here are a few pictures of the Metrolink works heading up past Sportscity and onto Ashton New Road.
The tram will run underneath Alan Touring Way through a tunnel which was built at the same time as the stadium in 2001. This is the Tunnel entrance and exit. Oddly i have passed this hundreds of times and never knew it was even there.

 After it comes out at Asda it runs parallel to the New Road and along side Asda upto the canal where a brand new bridge is going to be positioned. The footings were being put into place when i came along yesterday. I think it will mean a completly new bridge over the canal at Bank Street.

 Finally after 12 months of work on Pollard Street the foundation work has been done. The workman i spoke too says there is still things to go underground and the track will be laid first then the road. Given that this road was to be closed for 18 months this cannot be too far off now. I couldnt get close to the tunnel under Great Ancoats Street which has been constructed without most people even knowing it's there.

Road to nowhere.

This road off lord sheldon way appears to have been started but not finish. Any ideas what the plans were for this road? I have just cycled up the new road and took some shots of all the roadworks. Not sure if i will post them yet will see later. I did finally get to set my mind right about where the metrolink is going and will post them pics later.

Metrolink

The metrolink system looks like a state of panic. There is lots of brass hanging around watching whats happening here is a few pics of whats going on right now.

Nice day out

You wouldn't think it was nearly november. It's 18 degrees today and the fountains in piccadilly are as busy as a summer day. Just having a rest. I have come through a few streets at the back of the express buildings in manchester. Some interesting housing round there will post a few pics when i get home.

What a bargain.

Just heading into manchester on my bike. I noticed this cut price city parking for only 3 quid. What a steal. I think someone forgot to come back for there caravan though too.

Almost finished.

Just waiting a few minutes out in hadfield before finishing my last trip. Very quiet evening. I could do this duty every day. Off tomorrow and with the warm weather comes a bike ride so i'm hoping for a good nights sleep. Will see what tomorrow brings.

Not so simple

Today seemed average but my two trips on the 330 has turned into one. This is so i can do a late on the good old glossops. Should be pretty eventless. This first bus has broken down near to ikea on Oldham road. Thought i would snap it as nothing much else going on today.

Very average day.

Nothing happening today upto now. Been the gym had dinner and now i'm waiting for my 347. Two trips on here then two on the 330 later. Nice and simple. Heard there was accident yesterday on the 330 at asda in ashton. 6 people went to hospital in ambulances. The Enviro i believe was in a collision with a car at the lights. I'm sure the cctv will help pass fault. The driver though was released from the company this morning.i won't speculate about fault.

Dining out.

Just in stockport on my 2nd 330. I left ashton at 8am. You get so much time to get here because the roads are normally bad. I have got about 20 minutes here now so the cornflakes have made a premature appearance. Should keep me going until 2 anyway. From a radio message i heard before i think a bus might have been stolen overnight. Will find out later.

I hate mondays.

I try to avoid monday morning like the plague. Just been picked up to go to work. It's wet, cold and megarider day which means busy roads and a busy bus. I'm sure i will survive. Got a pretty mixed bag today. 330s first then tour-de-greenfield, then a trip on a 7 finishing the long day off at 6pm. One good thing is the schools are off so that should make things a little easier, we will see. Not sure if this little video will upload, i'm trying to upload it in 2 different way. Tis the very nice sounding b10m we have on taxi duty at the moment.

Are they MAD?

This is the new site for the post office in Droylsden. Now then... Looking at this, i am concerned. Where a post office appears so do pensioners with disabled badges in ther cars. Now i have nothing against disbaled badges, but the way Droyslden is at the moment, a load of cars parked up outside this building will cause chaos next to the lights. Who thinks of these things, really! If this was a cab company it would have been refused permission. There will be more people stopping outside this building to "nip" in than you would see parked outside a cab company. Can't wait to sit there sounding the horn wating for them to come out and abuse me lol.
I took this yesterday when i had time to wait, Yes time to wait, on the 218.
Not today i won't. the 5km diversion starts today. I'm the second one through it at 850am from the Hospital. Should be a nice ride out. Might try to get a pic of a 218 next to Greenfield station as a momento. First are only running to top Mossley and asking people to walk down to a shuttle bus so i am expecting the 217s 218s to be very profitable with free passes this week. It was however, very hard to keep time on there yesterday so we have no chance this week in rush hour. We will end up taking 216s off to cover and once again draught in the Princess road massive to cover some 216 trips which, like yestersday, went to the dogs once more. I'm so glad i don't live down there and have to use that bus it really is horrid for the people. And there is nothing we can do to make it any easier.....Very poor.

Broken bus

Makes a nice change to see other bus companies in a little trouble. This 118 has broken down at the bottom of Oldham road blocking the bus stop. Looks like one of our ex drivers on the phone out of shot calling it in too. Am sure it will be moved soon.

Basic model

This is the cab of an Enviro 400. Very basic. Nowhere near as nice as the Scania or even the newer model Enviro like the ones jpt has. This one (19104) is like a bullet. Very powerful bus. Just in stockport on a 330. Got loads of time on that trip but no traffic at 7am. I have a long day today with 5 hours on a 217 then 2 more trips on here.

Silly boys

Just coming past the carpet place in denton. There 3 youth who look like they should be in school as cutting a large piece off a roll of carpet. To do this the dragged is across the main road with pedestrians walking over it. Stopped the traffic made the cut and then rolled it up again. Pretty mad as it's 4pm and the road is very very busy. I can see why the owner didn't want to do it himself. Finished today so on my way home now. Didn't win the best new blog award but i don't mind. It's still fun even for me reading back where i been. Lol pretty odd yes i know.